32 Chunk is pictured on Sept. 9, 2022. (Courtesy L. Law/Katmai National Park and Preserve) KATMAI NATIONAL PARK, Alaska - It’s that time of year again – bears are preparing for hibernation, and the public gets to judge a chosen sleuth of bears who have been packing on the pounds for this year's Fat Bear Week competition.Fat Bear Week is an annual, single-elimination tournament in which the public votes for which bear they think is the fattest.
Not only are they voting for the chunkiest contender, but they are also judging which bear was most successful in preparing for hibernation.
32 Chunk is pictured on July 11, 2022. (Courtesy L. Law/Katmai National Park and Preserve) "Which brown bear best transcends the ordinarily large and enters the realm of extraordinarily fat?" Explore.org, the creator of the competition, asks. "There’s no fat shaming in Fat Bear Week.
Fat bears exemplify the richness of Katmai National Park and Bristol Bay, Alaska."The bears along the Brooks River in Alaska have been consuming their final meals, and the competition highlights the importance of bulking up for their winter hibernation.